With the support of Irkutsk Oil Company (IOC), an educational cluster will be created based at the Ust-Kut Industrial Technical School, a branch of the Irkutsk College of Automotive Transport and Road Construction.

The technical college was among the winners of the competitive selection process for the federal project “Professionalism” organized by the Russian Ministry of Education. IOC is a key partner and employer. Grants totaling 100 million rubles in the form of subsidies for the creation of clusters will come from the federal budget.

The project aims to implement secondary vocational education programs, training programs, and professional development programs. In the Irkutsk region, training is already underway in 12 clusters created between 2022 and 2024. During this time, the number of students has grown from 558 to 5,800.

– The federal project Professional Degree is changing the training system to meet the modern requirements of the labor market. It provides opportunities to implement innovative technologies and interactive forms of learning based on the use of the latest equipment. This significantly improves the quality of training for specialists needed by the regional labor market in the most sought-after fields. Therefore, it is important for us that the Irkutsk Region is an active participant in this strategically important project, noted Igor Kobzev, Governor of the Irkutsk Region.

For the company, participation in the project opens up opportunities not only in terms of meeting staffing needs, but also in implementing retraining programs for Ust-Kut residents at the base of the supporting vocational school.

IOC runs a comprehensive program for training young professionals, covering schools, universities, partner vocational colleges, and production facilities. Since 2023, a practice-oriented program called University - IOC has been in place, under which students study and work in manufacturing at the same time. Students also have access to internships in the office and practical training in the company. A free educational project IOC Academy, as well as specialized IOC Classes have been launched for schoolchildren.

Irkutsk Oil Company (IOC) is one of the independent producers of hydrocarbons in Russia. The Company was established in 2000 and conducts geological study, exploration and development of subsoil blocks in the Irkutsk Region, Krasnoyarsk Region and the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). The company ranks in the top 5 best employers in the Energy, Mining and Processing category and is in the top 50 of the hh.ru employer rating.

An educational cluster to be created at the Ust-Kut Industrial Technical School with the support of IOC